Throughout Call of Duty’s history, there have been plenty of memorable ARs, including the XM4, which is back and better than ever in Black Ops 6.
Either the M4 or XM4 has appeared in almost every Call of Duty game, and Black Ops 6 is no exception. As usual, it serves as the versatile assault rifle that is accessible and easy to use but doesn’t necessarily deal the most damage.
As such, you can’t afford to miss shots with this gun, so you’ll need a build that makes it as accurate as possible. To get the most from it, lock in the best controller settings then use this XM4 loadout that features the best attachments, perks, and equipment to help you dominate multiplayer.
Best Black Ops 6 XM4 loadout
- Optic: Kepler Microflex
- Muzzle: Suppressor
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Rear Grip: Ergonomic Grip
- Stock: Buffer Weight Stock
The XM4 is already a remarkably accurate weapon, but it can be transformed into something truly special with the Buffer Weight Stock. This is the only assault rifle that can use this incredible attachment that improves both vertical and horizontal recoil. When equipped, it makes this build easy to use at any range, which is great given the gun’s versatility.
Since this stock does such a good job of reducing recoil, you don’t need to waste the muzzle slot on a Compensator. Instead, equip the Suppressor to avoid showing up on the radar when firing. This is very useful for flanking when used alongside the Ergonomic Grip, which improves key handling stats such as ADS speed and slide-to-fire speed.
The Long Barrel is another option that is worth using on the XM4, as it boosts damage range significantly. This is preferred over the Reinforced Barrel as the XM4’s bullet velocity is already very fast regardless. You may as well improve its range instead and further improve the assault rifle’s versatility.
Round off the build by equipping a meta optic like the Kepler Microflex. This is great for situations where you need to track moving targets, especially at long range. The iron sights aren’t always practical in scenarios like this, so it’s best to use a sight instead.
Best XM4 Black Ops 6 class: Perks and equipment
- Combat Specialty: Recon
- Perk 1: Ghost
- Perk 2: Tracker
- Perk 3: Vigilance
- Wildcard: Perk Greed (Ninja)
- Lethal: Semtex
- Tactical: Flashbang
- Field Upgrade: Trophy System
The Recon combat specialty is excellent, as it provides a warning whenever an enemy is aiming at you, similar to how High Alert worked in past games. This information is invaluable and can be the difference between winning and losing a decisive gunfight.
To use Recon, you need to have three matching Blue Perks. For this, we recommend Ghost to stay undetectable by enemy UAVs, Tracker to see enemy footsteps, and Vigilance to know when you appear on the other team’s minimap. With this setup, you will have all the intel you could ever want, letting you make the right decisions and play with the utmost confidence.
You can take another perk by using Perk Greed, which is one of the best wildcards in the game. Use this free slot on Ninja to silence your footsteps, turning this loadout into the perfect fit for a stealthy, flanker playstyle.
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A Semtex works as well as ever in the lethal slot, and a Flashbang is a top option in the tactical slot that can be used to blind victims, leaving them helpless. Finally, the Trophy System is a powerful Field Upgrade that can be thrown to block and intercept enemy equipment, which is particularly useful if you play objective game modes like Hardpoint and Headquarters.
XM4 pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very easy to use | Mediocre TTK |
| Good damage range | Below average handling |
| Fast fire rate | Fairly slow reload |
| Low recoil | Can struggle up close |
Where is the XM4 in the Black Ops 6 meta?
The XM4 is a good assault rifle that serves as this year’s jack-of-all-trades weapon. It doesn’t have any exceptional characteristics but is still a strong option thanks to its low recoil, solid damage, and overall impressive performance at both medium and long range.
Within each weapon’s max damage range, the XM4 has a middling TTK among ARs, clocking in at 300 ms. While this pales in comparison to the AS VAL and AK-74, it’s still fairly impressive given how accurate the XM4 is. It makes up for its lack of raw damage with consistency and ease of use, both of which are important. After all, the MCW was meta in MW3 for much the same reason.
It might not be an absolute meta weapon, but the XM4 is an appealing gun that thrives due to its versatility. It doesn’t matter if you are on a small map like Babylon or a bigger map like Scud, this assault rifle will always be competitive.
How to unlock the XM4
You can unlock the XM4 by reaching Level 4, at which point it will be available to use on custom loadouts and build as you wish.
While it’s unlocked straight away you’ll want to use the best attachments, so check out how to level up fast and when the next Double XP event arrives.
Best XM4 alternative in Black Ops 6
If the XM4 doesn’t quite offer the damage profile you want, you might be better off using the AK-74, an alternative assault rifle that excels thanks to its fast time to kill. If you prefer to get up close, you can also check out the best SMG loadouts in the game.
For more options, check out our Black Ops 6 weapon tier list, which ranks all of the game’s guns from best to worst. We’ve also got loadouts for several other powerful weapons, including the AMES 85, KSV, and Tanto .22.